Activision claims sampling of Bungie's new shooter most popular console beta ever for a new IP

The expectations surrounding Bungie's Destiny are immense, but early signs show no shortage of interest in the sci-fi shooter. Activision today announced that more than 4.6 million players took part in a cross-platform beta test for Destiny that ran from July 17 through July 27.

"This is the biggest beta of this console generation by a wide margin and the largest console beta ever for a new video game IP to date," Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg said. "Hosting a beta at this scale is an incredible feat, so we're thrilled to see the phenomenal response."